Wisconsin man faces hate crime charges in Lake County

WAUKEGAN -- A Wisconsin man charged with a hate crime in connection with posting a threatening comment under a Lake County LGBTQ+ organization’s Facebook post has been extradited to Illinois, authorities said.

On June 3, the Round Lake Beach Police Department became aware of a threatening comment left on a Facebook post published by the LGBTQ+ Center of Lake County, according to a news release from the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office. The organization’s post promoted the upcoming Lake County Pride Fest scheduled for June 14 at the Round Lake Beach Cultural and Civic Center.

The Facebook comment, left by a user with the screen name “William Ramlow,” included hateful, derogatory language and slurs, advocating for violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community, according to the release.

Round Lake Beach police officers investigated the matter and tracked the IP address of the user to an address in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. On June 4, with the assistance of Elkhorn Police Department, Round Lake Beach Officers were able to make contact with William Ramlow, 38.

After reviewing the facts of the case, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved one count of hate crime, a Class 4 felony, and an arrest warrant was issued. Ramlow was taken into custody on June 13 by the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office. He waived extradition to Illinois and appeared in First Appearance Court on July 10.

“There is no place for hate in our communities,” Round Lake Beach Police Chief Ryan Rodriguez said in the release. ”I want to personally thank the Elkhorn Police Department, the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office for their cooperation and dedication throughout this investigation. The collective efforts of our agencies reflect a strong commitment to justice, safety, and accountability.”

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said, “Everyone deserves to be safe and to feel safe. Hate is on the rise in this country – but our office will never hesitate to hold those accountable who make direct threats or who engage in actions that harm others. Our office proudly stands with the LGBTQ+ community and its leaders in making Lake County safer and better. I want to thank the outstanding investigators with the Round Lake Beach Police Department who found this offender and brought us the case.”